n in each and every   
   time.  This would almost eliminate that need.  Also, looking at it, I think   
   a "blow up" of each bill would be a helpful addendum to the lines of BASIC   
   that make "The Ledger" a useful tool.  I already have something similar   
   already in place but I want something more extravagant; more detailed.  I'm   
   thinking the page would run something like:   
      
   YOU OWE (total) ON THIS BILL.  THE MINIMUM PAYMENT OF (amount) IS DU   
     E ON (date).  DO YOU WANT TO PAY (amount)?  Y/N.   
      
   The user will be given the choice to pay a different amount and apply it to   
   the debt.  After the payment is posted in the Commodore the computer will   
   announce:   
      
   A PAYMENT OF (amount) WAS POSTED ON (   
     date).  YOUR BALANCE IS NOW (new total) WHICH   
     WILL BE DUE ON (new date).  DO YOU WISH TO SAVE THIS DATA TO (fil   
     e name)?  Y/N.   
      
   If the user pays off the debt and the balance is zero, the Commodore can   
   post a message on the screen that says something like:   
      
   CONGRATULATIONS!  YOU'VE PAID OFF THES   
     E SONS OF BELIAL!  REWARD YOURSELF WITH A DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER FROM THE L   
     OCAL SCARF N' BARF.   
      
   That might be a little extreme but you get the idea.  Just to add humour I   
   may add a micro word processor so the user can create a small 40 to 80   
   character congratulatory message and I add an RND(0) calculator so the   
   Commodore can display up to, say, six messages that the user can do to   
   celebrate each debt being paid off.  Of course, on reoccurring debts like   
   utility and cellphone bills I will keep the "Change Data On Account"   
   subroutine so the user can add the new totals into the database and start   
   the nightmare all over again.   
      
   As you can read, "The Ledger" is already formidable as it is and does the   
   job quite well in its present state, but, like I stated, the work could use   
   some incredible cosmetic surgery and add some features to make it more   
   user-friendly and quicker to access and manipulate data.  With this program   
   being "the baby" of my Commodore works, I'm looking forward to sitting down   
   at the Commodore and helping this baby grow into a beautiful, flourishing   
   piece of the Commodore family.   
      
      
   *************************************   
        INTERVIEW WITH TOMAS PRIBYL   
             Creator of IDE64   
   *************************************   
      
   Originally printed in Commodore Scene magazine...   
      
   Tomas, thanks for taking some time out to talk to us -- I appreciate your   
   time is scarce.   
      
   Thanks for your commitment to a great Machine.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  Please, can you tell the people who don't already know what exactly   
   the IDE64 interface, is and what software the interface will work with?   
      
   TP:  IDE64 is controller for connecting ATA/ATAPI (IDE) devices to C64.   
   Other peripherals can be connected to C64 on special IO bus called SHORT   
   BUS.  Embedded software support allow to use IDE devices as standard C64   
   device included basic applications like MONITOR or MANAGER.  IDE64   
   controller has backup Real Time Clock chip, RAM and PEROM memory and reset   
   button.  Main advantage of IDE64 is high speed data transfer, which is   
   provided by direct connection on C64 Expansion Bus.  IDE64 is compatible   
   with all programs which use standard IO routines like LOAD, SAVE, OPEN,   
   CLOSE etc.  Programs, which use direct access on serial bus are not   
   compatible, but can be rewritten (fixed for IDE64) with standard calls.  We   
   are still improving the IDE64.  The newest version of IDE64 V3.4+ has   
   bigger PEROM 128kB which contains new firmware IDE-DOS V9.x, which is   
   developed for a long time.  This is free software, the source and the tools   
   required to build the firmware are public and available for Linux and   
   Win32.  The code is licensed under the GPL-2.  This new firmware is   
   available for all users of IDE64 V2.x and V3.x.  Features of this file   
   system will be described later.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  Could you please give a little background history about yourself?   
      
   TP:  I was born in 1974 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.  I was interested in   
   electronics from basic school but computers were unavailable for ordinary   
   people because of the closed borders.  Computers were only in centres for   
   the scientists.  After finishing basic school I started to study at Electro   
   Technical High School, the automation branch.  After The Velvet revolution   
   in 1989 my first computer, as most of the students in our class, was a C64.   
   This helped me to understand computers and to do my homework.  From that I   
   met my friend Josef Soucek (he studied in the same class with me), who gave   
   me a lot of important information about the C64.  After finishing the high   
   school I started studying on Czech University, electro technical faculty   
   and I started working in small company which focused on the C64 / Amiga   
   computers software, hardware development and service.  There I met Jan   
   Vorlicek, later IDE64 hardware co-developer.  During this time, Jan   
   Vorlicek, Josef Soucek and myself started working on IDE64 controller, it   
   was in 1994.  Then I interrupted studying at university and went to civil   
   service in kindergarten ~ instead of Army duty ;-).  After this I started   
   working in company focused on industrial automation.  During this period we   
   developed, with Josef several, interesting devices for C64.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  Do you have any likes or dislikes you would like to share with us?   
      
   TP:  I like a creative job, learning and understanding new things and   
   technologies.  I like playing on musical instruments, astronomy (I worked a   
   few years in the Prague astronomical observatory), I also like photography   
   and travelling.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  What qualifications do you have to design peripherals like this?   
      
   TP:  I studied at the university, but most of my experience I have learnt   
   from practice.  The most important for me was the 6 latest years when I   
   designed a lot of controllers for industry.  I am interested in designing   
   FPGA chips and other programmable logic.  I am co-developer of control   
   system for looms for glass fabric or for semiconductor producer; I was   
   responsible for developing control system for linear drive and other   
   interesting projects.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  Suppose someone is reading, and would like to design Commodore   
   hardware but hasn't done much other than soldering.  What would be the best   
   way to start learning, for example I am good at taking things apart and   
   de-soldering but they never work when I put them back together !   
      
   TP:  The most important thing is to have motivation and enough information.   
   Nowadays the main source of information is the internet.  Semiconductor   
   producers support developing with their products by sending free samples,   
   datasheets or application notes.  Modern technology is making for easy   
   development techniques and it is rather programming, where most important   
   are basic rules and logical thinking.  It is easier than 10 years ago.   
   IDE64 team supported C64 hardware developers on our webpage with schematic   
   of our devices, which can be useful for designing similar devices.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  What other projects have you worked on, Commodore and non-Commodore   
   related?   
      
   TP:  Our projects started with the development of cartridges (RAM and ROM),   
   then 4-bit audio digitizer, B&W scanner created from a plotter, EPROM   
   programmer and internal memory expansion.  Then we started developing   
   different communication interfaces like RS232 converter on USER PORT, fast   
   UART and finally 300bps modem.  We have used this modem for our first   
   connection to internet.  After this we started IDE64 project and other more   
   complicated projects like DUART64 (fast dual UART for IDE64), ETH64 (10Mbit   
   Ethernet controller forIDE64), MP3 player or PCkeyb (PC PS2 converter to   
   standard C64 matrix keyboard).  In my work I have worked on a lot of   
   interesting projects like industrial CPU board or glass thread video   
   detector.   
      
            - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   CF:  When did the IDE 64 project start and whose idea was the IDE64   
   project?   
      
   TP:  The first ever experiments began in 1994 when we me   
      
   --- MBSE BBS v1.0.4 (GNU/Linux-i386)   
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair ---:- dragon.vk3heg.net -:--- (3:633/280)